Working from home has its perks, aka trying new restaurants during my lunch break! I asked my Pop if he was down to go out and he agreed and suggested we try Heads and Tails. We came during lunchtime on a weekday. The restaurant was bigger than I expected with tables for different sized parties, a bar, and outdoor seating. Ordering is simple--you either scan the QR code to order or can order at the bar. Since it was a slower day, we were lucky to have a server come to our table to help us. He was super friendly and knowledgable and we both enjoyed talking with him! Food-wise, everything came out fresh, hot, and fast which was appreciated. I was craving a sandwich so the Chicken Salad Sando had my name. It was my first time trying smoked chicken salad and it was delicious! I loved the flavor and smokiness of it, the creaminess shined, and it had all the right textures and additions. I also opted to add fries which were crispy and addicting. My Pop had the Pick Two Smoker opting for Brisket and Pulled Pork. He enjoyed his meal. Both of us found the portions to be nicely sized and took home half for leftovers and to share. I'd love to try more of their sandwich offerings in the future. Barbecue isn't something I often crave or eat and I'm not too familiar with the barbecue scene in the area but enjoyed my time at Heads and Tails. I'd love to come again with friends and support their new business. Their restaurant is located off San Pablo Ave. with metered street parking and neighborhood parking around. read more

See all

Mid-tier barbecue at best. Not a place I'd go out of my way to visit. It's fine to try once, but I wouldn't return. The pricing was reasonable, but the menu felt limited, especially since they were sold out of several popular items. Nothing stood out enough to be photo-worthy. read more

Driest Brisket in the United States. Pulled pork was also dry, ribs were okay, beans were good. I gave them two tries before I posted a review. I will say the employees were super nice and service was good. read more

Hey took my wife this past Sunday evening the food was delicious they had run out a few things but they took care of us party of 3 serves was good get the The Show if u go it has a little bit of everything They get half a point deduction do to double charge my card and had to call my bank the next morning and got it resolved quickly read more

Cool spot in Berkeley. I've had a lot of bbq in TX, particularly Austin so my standards are high. Got the three meat combo: 1/3lb ribs, 2/3lbs brisket, shells and cheese, and garlic rolls. The brisket was lightly Smokey, firm and tasty. I visited at 12 noon on a Saturday. I could tell the brisket wasn't straight off the smoker but good nonetheless. The ribs were lightly sweet and peppery. Paired with the sauces at their self serve sauce bar was.perfect. The shells and Mac and the garlic rolls were amazing. Service was excellent. Thank you Melissa. Washed it all down with a hazy and had a good Texas bbq meal in Berkeley. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Self serve bbq sauce bar. - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Heads and Tails is a fantastic addition to the Bay Area BBQ scene. I've never understood why there aren't more truly outstanding barbecue joints around the Bay. This one has been open for a month and it's an exciting development. Thanks to Toni's great review, I decided to check it out. The barbecued chicken sandwich was delicious. Someone on the grill knows what they're doing for sure and the sauce was nice. The East Brother oatmeal stout too. I was impressed that they have a good number of taps to choose from. The bartender was super nice. He gave me the scoop and let me know they've been super busy. Since it was around 9 PM, they were out of a lot of things. But I was really really happy to get some legitimate barbecue and a drink that late in the evening. He also let me try the frozen Irish coffee, which I have to say was outstanding. That'll be a fun treat for warm afternoon sometime. I'll be back. I generally don't give five stars on a first visit, but don't be surprised if Heads and Tails gets five stars next time I'm there. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Drink menu - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

We went for Dino ribs, but they only serve them 1 day a week. But when they were out of ribs we could have left. I ended up ordering Nachos they were really good. Mt partner got BBQ chicken. It was ok, kinda dry. The service was chaos everyone is your waiter and no one is so a lot of time asking for items and not receiving them. Game was on so pretty busy. I will try again since I hear good things about this place. Hopefully they will have pork ribs available when we go. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Nachos with brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

I met Toni and Lori here for lunch. All the windows filled the room with natural light. You might find it difficult to park. I enjoyed walking back to my car a block and 1/2 away. I would be happy to walk further to enjoy the food here. We had a great server, Leo or Liam. The owners stopped by our table. They also have a full bar When I read the chicken sandwich was a thigh I knew that was what I wanted. To me, thighs are so much better than breasts, they are tastier and juicer. I was not tempted by the ribs or any of the meats. I also ordered Mac and Cheese. The buttermilk fried chicken sandwich had a great crust. If that all was that was on this sandwich, I would have been happy. However, it wasn't; the chicken under the crust was perfectly cooked. It was complimented by spicy slaw, sliced pickles, and chipotle mayo. When I first tasted the Mac and cheese I thought it was average until I took it home, when I reheated it was rich and creamy. I would order it again. I ordered the summer corn salad to-go it was delicious. I would order my whole meal again. Good chicken sandwiches are a great treat read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Small summer corn salad - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

Amazing drinks and open late ! We had a Scofflaw!!! It was the best fucking drink I've had in a minute. After playing soccer at Gilman fields this place was open on our way home and we said why not ? My wife had a cosmopolitan, that shit was so refreshing and I ain't gonna like I ordered one too. Don't judge me it's a men's drink too! Fire ,Come try they drinks ,Idk about their food yet read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Cosmopolitan - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Heidi was amazing. She welcomed us right when we came in and even helped us find an outlet for my laptop since I had to do some work. We also met Alex, who took great care of us and made sure we were attended to the entire time. The food was high quality and delicious, and the customer service was excellent. read more

Enjoyed the food, service and beverages through and through! Special thanks for owner Rick and his staff members for making my celebration of 5th year work anniversary memorable. I suggested Heads and Tails to my colleagues to celebrate a milestone of working 5 years at the same company because im always looking to try new bbq places in the bay area; which lead me to heads and tails. I came in for lunch on a weekday, so there wasn't as many peope there. We were serviced immediately and the staff were very patient with us by giving us time to order. When we were ready, we still had trouble deciding on what to order and he made great recommendations. Ordered the brisket, ribs, mac and cheese, beans and hot links. My favorites were the hot links and beans. Im not a hot link person, but boy, im so glad we ordered them. Rick stolled induring mid meal to check on our table, asking for feedback and general friendly conversation. He mentioned how much it means to him to be able to open his dream business and have people enjoy the food. He makes his own spice blends and sauces. And even the hotlinks are his original recipe! The brisket was tender and just fell apart when i tried to fork it, and if you need to make a special request for leaner or fattier, they will try their best to acommadate. The hotlinks were juicy, savory and creeping heat' the more you ate, the hotter it got. For the sides, the mac and cheese came out piping hot and crispy on top, and the beans were so delicious with sweet, tangy mixed with chunks of meats with perfect texture of the beans. It was even delicious the second day. The potato salad was also a hit. Potatos perfectly seasoned with mayonnaise, cooked to tender, smooth and creamy. Also delicious the next day. Oh and dina ribs on weekends. If you like brisket, don't forget to try the dina ribs. It was so good my teammates visited second time but with their family. I highly recommend! But go when it's not so busy because when they are, the wait time get tol long for me to keep up my patience read more

The servings here are good size, probably good for 2 people. Bbq was moist and the sauce, was just the right amount of sweetness and spice. Service was quick, the ambiance was what you would expect from a bbq spot. Definitely come down for some really good bbq and bring your appetite. read more

At least 85 characters, eh? Well let's see -- I'm giving 'em 3 stars, but they should also have 3 dollar signs... Expensive Nice atmosphere Expensive Decent appetizers Expensive Good pours Expensive Friendly staff Expensive Location, location, location... Expensive We gotta take these landlords out back to the shed for a good ol' fashioned "come to Jesus" talkin' to. 'Cause if you gotta charge $14 for a well drink -- during happy hour -- just to make rent & payroll? Well now, that just ain't right. Bless their hearts... read more

I've tried this place 3 times and after this last time, I feel compelled to write a review. Let me start by saying the staff has always been friendly and the dining area is okay, not bad. The brisket is where things fall short. The 3 separate times I've ordered brisket, all three times it was cut WRONG, cut with the grain not against and it drives me crazy how this can keep happening. The last time I ordered, I brought it up with the server and he told me they should cut it against. Regrettably, I got it togo and to my surprise, it was cut with the grain again. I don't understand, why go through all the trouble of smoking brisket and not know how to cut it properly. It would be like a pizza being served upside down or getting a cheeseburger and the cheese is on top of the bun, it makes no sense and completely ruins the brisket. 3 times in a row is not a coincidence. Not only was the brisket cut wrong rendering it tough and stringy, they totally screwed up the order. My 3 item combo only came with 2 meats, and the $15 large Mac n cheese was 4oz. For $85 this is completely unacceptable. Whoever is running this place needs to do better and for godsake, cut your brisket against the grain, IT MAKES NO SENSE! read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Brisket cut WRONG with the grain, stringy and tough. 3 separate times is not a coincidence. - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We had a fabulous lunch today! Gorgeous weather called for lunch with friends and were really excited to try a new BBQ spot! We were 4 adults and two toddler kiddos. As always, so appreciative of kid friendly spots. We sat inside, greeted kindly and quickly with high chairs and drinks. We started with the bean dip and Queso, both served with tortilla chips. Wanting to share a bunch from their Smoker menu, we ordered a few of their "pick" meats plates - ribs, brisket, hot link and pulled pork. Sides of mac and cheese, coleslaw and pickles. Everything was AMAZING. This is a group who knows and loves BBQ (but is never hard to please!) given St Louis roots and my NOLA stint. The meats were seasoned really well. Not too salty, letting the perfect amount of smoke and the meat flavors shine with that classic thick peppercorn crust. After reading other reviews I just want to note that nothing was dry, everything had a ton of flavor, including the sides. I really love when there are ample pickles and onions with BBQ plates. Their house made pickles were delicious and included onions, peppers, fennel and green beans! We ordered two sauces with the meats too and wanted to leave with a bottle! The Carolina Gold was super yummy and brought a nice sweetness. The space is inviting and open. A nice place to dine with a larger group or a smaller group and sit at the bar. The service was great! Seemed like a lean team but we had everything we needed throughout the meal and again really appreciate the patience and kindness to us with kiddos! Someone who seemed like an owner stopped by our table a few times to check on us and was really lovely. We will absolutely be back! read more

See all

Recently stopped in to pick up barbecue. They have different specials on different days (Tri tip Thursday, Dino ribs on weekend) but I went classic with brisket and pork ribs. I wanted to give a shout out to the young lady who took my order at the bar. She gave recommendations when asked and she was courteous and kind. As for the food...just wow. I'm originally from the east coast and Midwest where barbecue rules, and this is by far the best I've had in the bay. Ribs were tender and the brisket, while a little fattier than I expected...just wow. The brisket was melt in your mouth good. Definitely returning! read more

Ribs very good the rest just ok. Very pricey for the portion, service was great.. I'll be back, next time will get different sides and a link. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Rib plate after tax $33!! - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

I think they were having a bad day when we visited. There was a large party in the right hand side of the restaurant. We seated ourselves and I was able to order the food using a QR code and they clearly received our order because our drinks arrived shortly after ordering. The drinks weren't great, the soda gun was likely out of CO2 because our drinks were completely devoid of bubbles. The barman was pleasant and friendly and said he'd check it out, brought us new ones but they were still flate. $10 for two flat sodas didn't seem like great value to me, I assume they were refillable but we didn't fancy that much. The service was spotty. After sitting at our table for 20 minutes someone came and asked us if we had ordered, I said we had done it virtually and waited some more time. After 30 minutes had elapsed after getting our drinks, I enquired as to where our food was and was told it would be 5 minutes. 15 minutes later part of our order arrived, a selection of meats and sides but the hand pie I ordered was "on its way". The food was decent, but inconsistent, the ribs were really good, flavourful and tender but still with a little bite to it. They really didn't need much sauce which is good because the BBQ sauce provided was thin and watery and lacked complexity. The cheddar sausage was only ok, nothing special and the sides of coleslaw and fries were as described, but unremarkable. We also shared a banana pudding which I ate and then realised that over an hour after placing our order, the hand pie I had ordered had not materialised. As I was asking the barman to cancel it, it turned up but we'd already had our dessert by then and I wasn't keen to eat it at this point so we asked for it to be removed from the bill and it was with no fuss. Conceptually this place seems good but it seems that they got hosed by the appearance of a large party. I wasn't sure if this was a pre-booked or impromptu group turning up, if it was planned then that's really not a good excuse for a backed up kitchen. read more

Hella tasty! Finally some good BBQ that doesn't taste like liquid smoke. The brisket had the right amount of fat and the smoked chicken was some of the best I've. Flavorful and juicy!!! That's hard to keep consistent in a restaurant unless you care. And they fo sho care. I love the sweet BBQ sauce, potato salad was a bit dry for me but mayo/vinegar slaw was on point. Garlic rolls a bit overpriced for what they are, I had higher expectations. All in all definitely worth the trip and the money. Lots of large TVs so you can watch Warrior basketball games. Service was great, really friendly and accommodating. Go check it out if you haven't. You won't be disappointed. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - My very delicious bbq that I only remembered to take a picture at the end. - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food: - Brisket is great - Potato salad is okay - Banana pudding is good but a little runny, could use more nilla wafers for a better balance of textures - Pickles were okay - Cheese fries were good but the texture of the cheese sauce was separated/the sauce broke - The grapefruit radler was refreshing - Beans were full of texture and sweet The service: - I called a day early to reserve a table for 4, they assured me it wasn't necessary unless my group was bigger than 7 since they don't expect it to be crowded - I arrived at 5:30pm and it was fairly empty, but it was packed by 6pm - The servers didn't seem to have assigned tables since 3+ employees came up to our table to bring out dishes, but not to take orders?? - After sitting there for nearly 20 minutes, I got up and ordered at the bar - My friend got her appetizers immediately, then her entree first. Since it was hot, she ate her food while we waited for ours... it took so long that she finished her meal before the 2nd order came out - 2 more friends came after me and no one came by to take their order, so I advised them to order at the bar - 3/4 meals took over 45 minutes to come out, and all of the sides on every order was wrong. - I ordered brisket with mac & cheese and a bread roll. I received brisket with pickles, potato salad, coleslaw, beans - A friend ordered brisket with pickles and coleslaw, received brisket with beans and potato salad - Another friend ordered brisket with mac and cheese and bread roll, received brisket with beans, potato salad, and bread roll. - Multiple times, an employee came up to our table to ask what needed to be fixed but walked off before we could finish explaining what was missing from our orders, then came back with more of the wrong foods. I asked if the orders were entered into the system wrong, and she said "We are short staffed, they're cooking more sides up right now, one of them doesn't speak English." None of that resolves the issue that no one took our orders, no consistency on who was checking on our table, and clearly the sides were available but no one was matching the orders up. - Another employee from the kitchen came out and asked how to fix our orders (already 7pm at this point), and I asked how much context he needed since he was at least the 3-4th person to come to our table. He said he knew what was going on, then proceeded to bring out the wrong quantity of things. - By this time, we had mostly finished eating our brisket without any of the sides we ordered, so we asked for our corrected sides to-go. - (Next Day) Finally got around to eating the mac & cheese, which is so thick and bland, that it was like eating yellowed Elmer's Glue. Were any seasonings involved? Why is it this texture? Other Yelp reviews said their mac came with breadcrumbs on top, mine did not. The worst part of it all, was that this was a work event. I picked this spot because I thought it would impress my colleagues and be a nice environment for after-hours bonding while supporting a local business. The only thing we bonded over was over horrifically the service. Thank god I wasn't taking a client here to try to get some contract, because this experience would have ruined it. Luckily my colleagues are chill and we were able to say "...well... at least this is a comically bad time and we can laugh about it." If nothing changes, I would not recommend this place. At the most, maybe order the meats for takeout and don't bother with the sides. And check your order before you leave, just in case. read more

This was my new favorite BBQ joint so naturally I was happy to tell my family and friends about it. I referred my cousin and based on his experience I won't be returning. Below is what he shared. "I made a mistake tonight. I went to Heads and Tails Barbecue on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. It was around 8:45pm. I was trying to lodge a complaint about the lack of food choices available. I was yelled at with profanity in front of other customers by a seemingly racist guy. It was disrespectful and uncalled for especially since I acted respectfully. I still want to thank you for the referral, but I won't be returning no matter how good the food is." read more

Best BBQ around, with awesome cocktails. Unpretentious and great for failed as well. Brisket has been my fav except when I splurge on a Dino rib. All places have off days so long as humans staff them, but rare here and I'm both a regular and Berkeley Health Inspector. I highly recommend them. read more

Attended an event here. Staff is super nice and friendly. Drinks were excellent as well - I had the margarita. Food was good - I'm not much of a red meat eater but the Mac and cheese and dessert were tasty. I recommend this place! read more

Stop by on a Sunday night to eat with friends, next thing you know. A homeless persons enters the place and takes my meal. Was never asked for a replacement and still had to pay my bill. Smh. read more

Too pricey. Meat wasn't cooked right. No smoke rings. Burnt ends were soft. No bark at all on the meat. Chicken was flavorful but all meat wasn't cooked like good bbq. No crispy bark at all. First and last time here read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - 3 meat combo - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

Everything was acceptable--the ribs fine, sides fine, service fine. A decent but average meal. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

Let's talk briscuit - yes- and yes again- it's very moist and their Mac n cheese...mmmmmm It's a cute place with plenty of room. The bar is well stocked and the staff is really helpful in their selections- the Mrs had an espresso martini - loved it. You can park in the street and it's an easy in and out to the neighborhood. I like it here and will be back. Oh almost forgot - get the coleslaw - it's a German slaw favorite of mine- it reminds me of home- just a hint of citrus which brings it to another level - Come visit- you will be happy you did read more

My husband and I came in for dinner the atmosphere was nice and the game so happened to be on tonight.We waited 45- 1hr no one came and sad sorry for your wait or any acknowledgment until i mentioned that the food was COLD 2x.They ended up bringing out the food after 2-3x sending the food back before it was HOT.We were not offered any discount our anything due to the looooong wait and food being COLD.Not sure if we will come again.100.00 is a lot of money to pay 2-3x having to send back before they made it semi right. read more

Very good barbecue in west Berkeley. Not a lot of great bbq in the area but this is by far the best. Brisket was the best item, very tender and flavorful. Pork ribs, mac n cheese, and coleslaw all solid but wouldn't mind trying others next time. The only downside: pretty expensive ($80 + $10 tip for 2). read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Brisket, pork ribs, Mac n cheese and coleslaw as sides - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

$12 for a draft beer!! . Was a great place. I had been coming here for the kolsch I'll be looking for a new sports bar.

I wish i could review the food, but i cannot only the service. One server gave me a menu and disappeared. 10 minutes later no server stopped by no one would make eye contact. The bartenders were too interested in chatting with customers. So, I left. This place was recommended by a coworker who know BBQ. I was looking forward to having some. Their weekend Beef Ribs, even though very pricy (2 ribs $50). Now off my radar. read more

Brisket was wonderful and tender. Great house lemonade. Excellent service. When there say hello to Niki who is as sweet as their banana pudding. read more

Nice little spot to pick up some grub while watching a game. 3 large tvs, tables and a a wide bar. I ordered to go: - 1/4 lbs brisket - meat plate you hot links, brisket, ribs, corn meal waffle, Mac n cheese and hash pork on rice. Huge combo deal and a great way to sample their food. I found the ribs seasoned well but not smoked long enough for fall off the bone tender. The brisket was really tender, juicy and probably the 1 thing worth only getting. I'd see if I could get a fattier piece as mine was leaner. The hot links had a really good kick but dry. The sides were ok, the pork hash and rice was disappointing, cornmeal waffle was decent and the Mac n cheese was creamy. In short, it ain't Texas and you'll have a decent meal. read more

I will not recommend this place to anyone else the meat was half cooked. The side was dry and bland. The overall experience was a 1.3 out of 5 read more

1/2 smoked burger ,super tiny patty for $19. So much extra bread hanging off of it as there wasn't a lot of meat to cover the bun. They also put a ton toppings on it that buried the tiny patty. Didn't taste too much of smoke and wasn't well seasoned . No fries , tiny patty burger all for $19 not including tax. The upset I was that I decided to try this place out, giving customers this would obviously give a bad experience and lose customers. Either drop the price or give a real burger.staff was nice but never refilled my water. read more

See all

Didn't have several items in the menu, then took a very long time to get order (tri tip sandwich) ... 15 minutes after everyone else already had their food, still no order. Horrible Terrible service and preparation. read more

I'm giving three stars for the ambiance and service! I really appreciate that this place exists and I think we need more like it in the area! Now, onto the food-- I feel like it could use a bit more seasoning. The mac and cheese and potato salad were a bit bland for my taste. Also, our meat came out a bit cold and had a bit too much fat. I was so disappointed that I didn't even snap a pic. This was our second visit, so I felt a review was in order. I thought it might just be a busy night and maybe they were short-staffed, but I'm definitely willing to give it another try! I'm curious--what do you all recommend? The folks sitting next to us ordered burgers and ended up leaving a good portion of their food too, so something felt a little off that night. Nonetheless, I'm optimistic and ready to give it another shot! After all, they say "third time's a charm," right? read more

Nina is out of town this week so I decided to go to Heads and Tails ater taking care of some business at my bank, which meant that lunch was on the late side. I found parking very close, walked in and found a table. The lunch crowd had largely cleared out. Rick quickly greeted me and I told him I wanted a brisket sandwich w/ hot tea to drink. For a side I opted for a new green Mexican rice they have. Rick tol me they had new cornbread fritters but he wasn't sure they had any left because a party of 13 had kept ordering them they liked them so much. They didn't, which is how I ended uup w/ the green rice. I also wanted a to go order w/ brisket and ribs, w/ mac n cheese, beet and farro salad, which will be going out of season, and the new corn and tomato salad which is coming in. The ambiance was wonderful, w/ great music playing overhead. I was sitting facing the street, admiring the Warriors flag waving above the door. In what seemed like like no time I had my sandwich and rice. The sandwich was fabulous. I loved the coleslaw on it. The rice was good too and the tea was just what I needed. When I had finished Rick came over w/ my takeout. We chatted for a while about the Warriors. J had been under the impression that they had lost last night because I almost always receive a "Warriors Win!" email from them when they do and I didn't last night. Rick assured me they had won, which pleased me greatly. I watch whether they win or lose so I can see what happened, but I enjoy the games we win more, not surprisingly. I record them all and will watch the game later tonight. I was going to Berkeley Bowl West for fruit after leaving Heads and Tails so I used the bathroom before leaving. When I came out Rick told me to have a seat, the cornbread fritters would be ready in a minute or two. I did and he brought out a generous bunch of them in a box in a handle bag w/ two containers of sauce and wouldn't allow me to pay. I had one w/ my tea and it was delicious once I got past the comparison w/ the one's my mom made, which were corn fritters, not cornbread fritters. The dipping sauce was also delicious. I was going to have a couple w/ my dinner, but was just too full from lunch and dinner, so they will be for other meals. I will probably have some of my takeout for lunch tomorrow. read more

Liam our server was awesome. Food and beer top notch. I pass this a couple times and was curious how the product was on the inside because it's always good seeing a barbecue house in the neighborhood. It's spacious and parking can be tricky but possible. The staff is attentive and greet you when you come in, we were there for lunch. The food had a nice presentation. It was fresh and had great flavor.I even had enough leftovers to share with my wife when I went home. read more

Heads And Tails Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Berkeley, California

I don't feel happy about writing this review, but I feel obligated to share my experience. I visited the restaurant on a Sunday during brunch, and it was not particularly crowded. After placing my order, it took 45 minutes for my food to arrive. I calmly explained to the owner/manager that I was unhappy with the long wait and did not feel inclined to pay due to the delay. His response was that he did not like being spoken to in that manner and that "things happen." I believe that my money should be earned and not taken for granted. I finished my water and left. Good luck with your experience. read more